Secrets of Vesuvius (Time Quest)

Bisel, Sara

ISBN 10: 0590438514 / ISBN 13: 9780590438513

Published by Scholastic, 1993

Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00098911023

Synopsis:

By "reading" the bones of people killed by Mount Vesuvius, an anthropologist reconstructs their lives

From Kirkus Reviews: An installment in the ``Time Quest'' series alternates scientific assessment and valid speculation about the recently discovered skeletons at Herculaneum with a fictional reconstruction of Vesuvius's eruption. Bisel tells how she came to examine the skeletons in 1982, then introduces readers to a slave, ``Petronia,'' hours before the volcanic explosion. Bisel next reveals her conclusions, drawn from jewelry found with the skeletons and their bone structure, mineral content, etc. Readers are left to determine to what extent Petronia's story is fact- based, and how much is inference and/or interpretation. Shown in full-color photos complemented by artists' renderings of ancient times, these discoveries are fascinating. But the book's greatest strength is Bisel's manifest compassion for the objects of her study--even during the most reductive evaluations. Those who clearly comprehend the factual/fictional components of this historical alloy will find it utterly involving. Glossary; chronology; further reading. (Nonfiction. 8- 12) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Secrets of Vesuvius (Time Quest)
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: 1993
Binding: Soft cover
Condition: Good